Guitars Of The Week:
The Week of October, 22 2007 through October, 29 2007

Drop T Classic
Maple Top on Alder Back
Jack's Pacific Blue

Drop T Classic
Maple Top on Alder Back
Jack's Pacific Blue

Drop T Classic
Maple Top on Alder Back
Jack's Pacific Blue

Drop T Classic
Maple Top on Alder Back
Jack's Pacific Blue

86 miles long and winding its way through the forested landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the mighty McKenzie River offers its majesty. Native folklore tells of a positive energy force and power that envelops the river and the surrounding area, drawing in good fortune.

Just so much local superstition? Perhaps? Or not!

This is the very first Jack’s Pacific Blue, Hollow T Classic-Drop Top to ever appear on earth—and McKenzie River Music now has it.

Coincidence?

Maybe…but apparently this fact alone is enough to have convinced many experts in the field as to the creditability of the river’s lore—once again the area is abuzz with tales of the legend’s legitimacy.

They point to the color of this Hollow T Classic-Drop Top as a strong indicator. The intensity of its Quilted Maple Top’s deep grain pattern has a viscous-like appearance—resembling ocean waves or the fast moving current of the McKenzie River itself. Holding the guitar at rivers edge, there are some who say it is impossible to tell exactly where the guitar ends and the river begins. Of course, there are also those who say that visitors from another planet told them that eating birthday cake is the most effective means of implementing time travel. I guess it is just a matter of perception...or interpretation…or misinterpretation.

Let’s talk to John:

John is one of the magnificent men of McKenzie River Music—along with Erik and Ted—really great guys. Anyway, John reliably reports that Bob, the magnanimous owner of the store, cannot take his eyes off this particular Anderson and has plugged it in on many occasions. Bob says it is just so he can make sure it is still as perfect as the day it arrived from Anderson—although he does freely admit that he is captivated by the jet-fast playability of its Even-Taper neck.

He is quite enjoying the 5 hum-free vintage Anderson sounds that are inherent with a TD1-, SA1 and TD3+ pickup layout. The bonus comes as the mini-toggle is thrown, slightly thickening and saturating each and every hum-canceling sound, courtesy of the VA Booster. It’s like we run over and rewind your single coils—for that part in the song where you need a slightly fatter tone.

But for a real quantified conclusion as to whether the legend of McKenzie River has true merit or not, more evidence was needed. Substantiation came as I logged on the McKenzie River Music website in preparation for the Guitar of the Week commencement ceremonies which precedes the induction of each and every Anderson into the annals of Guitar of the Week.

Rapidly clicking through to the Anderson section of their website was the evidence all naysayers needed staring me in the face. Two McKenzie-shot photos appeared. The first displays an extremely rare Atlantic Storm, Hollow Drop Top with a beautiful giant bubble/almost tubular-like Quilted Maple Top that presents itself with a slight but significant “V” pattern behind the bridge. All the money in the world could not buy a top exactly like this one again. It is nature in fine form.

The next click reveals Fire—a Fire, Hollow Drop Top Classic flaunting a fanatic grain pattern. In person, it projects with even more vivid orange hues of light and dark—the colors of a roaring fire.

Does radiance like this just randomly appear? Not possible…unless you have arrived at an Anderson dealer. And does just any music store get to be an Anderson dealer? Not unless there is a magic…and McKenzie has The Magic!